The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-03
A MATTER OF JUGS.
A Scene at Express Office in q Prohibi-
ton Town.

A Scene at an Express Office in Prohibi-
ton Town.
Atlanta Constitution.
wonder if there will be any liquor in town
this ChristmasF asked man, in sad tone. at
the depot, yesterday.
well, if you'll just come over to the express
Office you will find out" said Colonel Hubert,
the well known Southern express agent
The scene in the express Office was novel and
peculiarly interesting one. In the main Office,
about the general delivery window. was pro-
miscuous jamming crowd as ever gathered to
gether. 1t was made up of men and boys, and
every phase of life represented. The rich
man, the poor man. the man in easy circum-
stances. and the needy man, all
there. The young and old, the strong
and crippled, the black and the white
were mingled together in profusion and confu-
sion. each awaiting his turn at the window. The
window is located at bend in the counter,
the door. Men were in regular line on each side
of the window, and third line stretched out In
front. Only a single person could be waited
upon at one time, and after being accommodated
he would make room for another. Colonel HUI
bert stood just inside the delivery window, and
a man presented himself said:
'Well2"
IT want jug for John ~
Colonel Hubert hurried back to q small trap
door leading into the basement. and bending
down, called out:
Pope. a Jug for John -"
"Pope," who was tire well-known Pope Gull
berson down in the basement, found jug di-
rected to John - and handed it up through
the hole. Colonel Hubert handed the jug
through the window, and as the man, with a
broad grin, accepted it and backed out through
the crowd the Colonel remarked to the next
man.
"Welllr
"a package for John -, from Philadelphia,
pleased"
Tho next window further down." answered
the Colonel, turning to the next man.
All day long this went Hundreds and
hundreds OF times Colonel Hubert remarked,
well" to the man outside the window, and just
as many times he walked across the room. and,
STOPPING down, asked for jug. AS the day
wore on the crowd increased, and when the
Office was closed last night men went away
supplied. No such jam has ever been seen in
the express Office as was seen yesterday, and no
such mixed crowd was ever drawn together in
Atlanta.
The in the Office was not the only inter
estng feature of the day at the express Office.
The basement portion of the building is used by
the express company also, and down III its cool
atmosphere equally interesting event was
transpirlng In the basement the jugs were
stored away And the medley of jugs was
equaled only by the crowd in waiting above.
Mr. Pope Culberson was in charge of the
jug plant, and large plant it was. Mr..
Culberson has reduced the jug handling
Business to a science On the wall of the build
ing he had painted each letter of the alphabet.
reached across one end of the building The
jugs had been classified, it were. Immediately
upon their receipt. Those addressed to Mr.. AL
| exander and the other AS were in a straight line
from the letter A. and those addressed to Mr.;
Smith and the other SIS were lined out from
that letter. Some of the letters had few jugs
on guard while others had a row half across the
basement The jugs, however, were not uni
form in size, neither were they all jugs. Some
were hardly large enough to hold good big drink,
while others were as large as beer key. Some
were round and some were fat Some were
packed in boxes and some in barrels, and some
were not packed at all. In the layout there
were jugs, bottles. boxes, tin cans and leather
pouches Even the oil can with a potato over
the spout was there.
well. how's this for a prohi town. asked
Mr. Culberson. as a reporter approached him.
ION. don't know. Been busy to day?'
well, yes, kinder. See what we have got
scattered over the floor nova couple hundred
| jugs only. But the stock is down. Ought to
| have been here directly after the noon train
| came in"
Been dishng them ont all day this way?'
asked the reporter, as Mr. Culberson handed a
! jug through the trap-door.
| 'Well, l just came in, but those three men
you see here nave been at it all day"
! jug after jug disappeared through the hole,
and after watching the process awhile the re-
| porter went up stairs, and approaching one OF
/ the bill clerks, asked:
| How many people are in here now?'
! "Oh, let's see' said the clerk, scanning the
| crowd; ''about-about 125 or $50, guess Fully
! 100, anyhow"
1 "How many of them come for jugs?"
| "Oh, about four out of every five, should
| judge"
How many jugs have you been getting
| daily9"
| This week close to two hundred and fifty
| to three hundred each day until to-day. To-day
| have no idea how many, and tomorrow will
| be more. dread the day. 1t will be work"
| docs everybody get JUG who callsF'
| "Oh Lord, no. Do you know that there is
| something funny about this. People, you know,
go to the postofice regularly, day after day, and
| ask for letter, and never get just sc
| here. Every day somebody comes for a bundle
| and never got it. Since jugs began to be a ship
ping commodity, the crowd of chronic callers has
increased"
| Where are most of the jugs from?"
| Most Of them come from Griffin some from
| Madison, and some from Chattanooga"